Spice and Wolf 10: Lawrence the fool

“I’m a merchant, I never go back on my word” – Lawrence (4:55).

Spice and Wolf 10Wolf and Swirling Conspiracy

It doesn’t look good for Lawrence, he’s been conned into being the unfortunate owner of a cartful of useless armour. He now owes money to a shady organisation called the Latopeiron, who are as tricky in practice as they are to pronounce. Of the 100 gold coins invested in the armour, half was his net worth and the other half made of loans. Unable to repay the loan, bankruptcy looms for Lawrence, a fate worse than death.

There are 3 things wrong with this scam Loans, Laptopeiron and Lawrence. First the original loan was given at 1oo% of Lawrence’s net worth. That’s unlikely, goto a bank tomorrow and your manager will laugh at you (It’s Sunday – the bank’s not open). Go speak to any bank and you’ll find nobody will loan you 100% of your net assets. Second, Lapaterion as the information-broker, seller and money lender is in too powerful a position and quite inevitably abused their position. Finally, the thing that’s wrong with Lawrence is that he’s an idiot. Lawrence is clearly a rubbish merchant to have bet all his money and taken out a loan on one trade, then to get all his information from one company or the pub.

Some cruel, sadistic part of me enjoyed the descriptions of fates for bankrupt individuals. I had to chuckle at Ayako’s fansub notes at the end of the episode. Apparently debtors employ thugs to catch, strip and sell all your possessions, including your freedom. Lawrence would be shaved bold and have his teeth plucked out, which would be sold as well. In slavery he would be used to work in Mines where he would be likely to contract lung disease or on a boat where the immense strain would clap out his body in 2 years (he wouldn’t survive 10 years and never repay his debt).

Whatever is wrong about the scam and whatever the fate of debtors. It’s quite inevitable that Lawrence will get out of his predicament, the question is how. Backdrop to this is also the inevitable failure of Horo’s and Lawrence’s relationship. They flirt every episode and it amounts to nothing. That relationship does not go anywhere because She is a canine wheat deity and He is a stubborn, failed merchant.